East Gippsland CFA district office to be ‘closed temporarily’

On the eve of another dangerous fire season, “the front door may be locked” at a CFA district office as its opening hours are reduced. See the details.

East Gippsland’s CFA head office in Bairnsdale could be “closed temporarily” in the lead-up to the summer bushfire season due to staffing issues.

CFA captains in one of the nation’s most fire-prone areas that experienced major devastation in the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires have been blindsided by advice that the district office “may be closed temporarily at times over the next few weeks”.

Phone calls into the office “may also be diverted to another district, but we will receive a message to call you back”.

Captains were also urged to make an appointment with someone they wanted to see because “the front door may be locked”.

Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria chief executive Adam Barnett said the Bairnsdale closure was the result of a staffing shortfall in the secondment agreement between Fire Rescue Victoria and the CFA.

Under the 2020 agreement the CFA must second all its paid firefighters from FRV.

“There are about 20 (CFA) spots that have never been filled,” Mr Barnett said.

“So whenever someone goes on leave, their position can’t be filled.”

East Gippsland was hit hard in the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires. Picture: Luis Ascui (Getty Images).

Gippsland East MP Tim Bull addressed the issue in parliament on Wednesday.

“The minister should know East Gippsland is one of the three most fire-prone areas in the world and I ask her to step in and make sure our local CFA office doors are open, it is taking calls and fully staffed,” he said.

“And this is in a period where CFA operational volunteer numbers have plummeted under Labor.

“The Black Summer bushfire response that devastated the east of the state required 8200 CFA volunteers and staff.

“However, since the fires, the CFA has lost 2192 operational volunteers, leaving it unable to gain the strike teams it requires for campaign fires.

“And all this while bush fuel loads are again at an all-time-high due to a lack of fuel reduction burning.

“It can only ever end one way and that is in a major fire and the government will have to take responsibility.”

A CFA spokesman said the issues in Bairnsdale would not “impact CFA’s operational response and ability to protect their communities”.

“The CFA Bairnsdale District Office is not closed, there are staff there everyday, however, due to administrative shortages and unplanned staff leave there may be occasions where the staff need to be elsewhere in the district and the office could be temporarily unattended.

“Phones will be answered but may be redirected to other district offices.”